** Eli **
Harper's breath hitched, her eyes fluttering closed once more. She was waiting for his touch, and Eli felt his own body itch in all the unspeakable places, eager to oblige and give her exactly what she wanted.
But today, he didn't want to rush. He was dying to hear her moan, to watch her tremble, to feel her unwind beneath him like the most beautiful musical instrument vibrating and singing with the most bewitching sounds … but she was more than those things to him, and he wanted her to remember that. He wanted both of them to remember that.
So instead of caressing her the way he wanted to, he continued with undoing the last button of her dress. Slipping an arm behind her shoulders, he lifted her gently and slid the clothing off of her waist, then her hips. Her eyes blinked open again when he traced his fingers along the lacy rim of her panty, now the only garment adorning her impeccable body.